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Looking at HRH through a governance lens
- Looking at HRH through a governance lens
- Improving HRH through responsible governance
- Aim
- Programme highlights
- Participants
- Learning methods
Improving HRH through responsible governance
Human resources for health (HRH) are a vital component of any health system and are central to attaining the health-related Millennium Development Goals. In many countries, a shortage of qualified and motivated personnel, and unequal distribution between areas and types of facilities, hampers the availability and quality of health services. Poor HR management, including financial constraints, can lead to insufficient numbers of health care providers being trained, inadequate planning and deployment of health care providers, and economic migration.
Currently, 57 countries have a critical shortage of skilled health workers (World Health Report 2006). Review of the development and implementation of HRH policies in these countries has shown that in some cases, the policy framework has improved, policies are more clearly defined and plans are generally coherent, but policy implementation is often poor.
To address the factors hindering appropriate policy development and implementation, and to mitigate the HRH crisis, the relationship between HRH and governance requires strengthening at all levels.
Aim
The aim of the short course is to enable participants to apply the concept of responsible governance to HRH issues and to develop approaches improving the formulation and implementation of national and regional HRH policies and plans.
Programme highlights
- Introduction to the concept of governance in HRH
- Interaction between actors: politics and power in HRH
- Political accountability: defining and reaching goals in HRH
- HRH planning and health services performance: effectiveness, efficiency and equity in health services through improved HRH
- Financial accountability: financing and payment mechanisms for HRH, budget tracking and aid effectiveness
- Regulation: accreditation, licensing and certification at national level
- Performance accountability: performance, productivity, quality of care
- Global governance: impact of migration and global health initiatives on HRH and accreditation of international and regional courses/ schools
- Effects of governance on HRH in post-conflict societies
Participants
The course is designed for senior policy-makers and planners, health services and programme managers, HRH experts and academics working in the area of human resources for health policy development and implementation in low and middle income countries. These policy-makers, planners and managers are either working in Ministries of Health, or they may be staff of embassies, international organizations, or NGOs.
Learning methods
The approach for most sessions will consist of introductory lectures, exercises, case studies and interactive group discussions building on participants’ experiences with the respective topics and issues. A reader will be provided with essential texts that are expected to be read before each class session.
